Let Us Review Your Case

Three Signs You Are the Victim of Age DiscriminationIBM is one of the largest tech companies in the country. However, former employees are accusing the company of using ageism as a strategy to keep the tech giant on top. A new wave of millennial hires is being utilized to give the company a fresh face. But older employees ...

Changes in California Workplace Sexual Harassment LawsOur blog two weeks ago discussed how you can spot workplace sexual harassment. However, you should also be aware that California enacted several new laws that can protect workers who are experiencing sexual harassment in the workplace. The following bills were recently ...

Five Possible Warning Signs of Workplace Sexual HarassmentThe #MeToo movement has become a national movement that has brought attention to sexual assault and sexual harassment. Instances of harassment or assault can occur just about anywhere—especially the workplace. In fact, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) ...

Yo! MTV Rapes?

We mentioned last week that MTV was facing a sexual harassment lawsuit from a former field clearance coordinator and production coordinator, but on October 28, 2011, the Hollywood Reporter said that former “Real World” cast member Tonya Cooley has now filed a lawsuit against the network and Bunim/Murray Productions. Cooley alleges she was victim to sexual abuse during the Thailand season of “The Real World/Road Rules Challenge.”

The Reporter noted that when the Village Voice published a standard “Real World” cast member contract in August, “many were still shocked just how far it went and whether the network really needed to insulate itself from liability from such acts as cast members possibly being humiliated or forced into ‘non-consensual physical contact.’” In addition to graphic accusations that include the network filming her being raped with a toothbrush by two male cast members while passed out, Cooley’s complaint “repeatedly states either the agreement she signed with MTV was an employment agreement or that her relationship with the network could be deemed as an employer/employee relationship by California labor code.”

As the Reporter noted, “since this is a labor case, whether or not the case proceeds or not will certainly come down to the employment uncertainty.” While the MTV contract may complicate Cooley’s case, both hostile working environment and quid pro quo sexual harassment remain illegal under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act. If you were the victim of sexual harassment, our Los Angeles employment lawyer wants you to know that an employer can be held accountable for harassment by supervisors or other employees whether or not they knew it was happening. Did you have questions about what constitutes sexual harassment? Contact our firm today to set up a confidential consultation.